JP2005533719A - Destructive cradle or subframe mounting device and retainer washer assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

Insulator assembly (20), such as a cradle mounting or body mounting assembly, includes a break feature. The insert (70, 70 ') includes a thin cross-sectional area (100), or a gap / interface (90) between the insert portions (70a, 70b), so that the forward direction (80) and the backward direction (90 The bolt (24) can be broken by the action of a predetermined load in (4). Furthermore, the retainer washer (50) may have an irregular shape, such as a teardrop shape or a clover leaf shape, in cooperation with the insert (70, 70 '). Can be pulled out in the −z direction by the action of a predetermined load.

Description

  The present invention relates to an improved insulation assembly that secures a body, such as a vehicle body, to an associated support, such as a vehicle frame or cradle, and absorbs vibrations or shocks therebetween. More particularly, the present invention relates to a body or cradle mounting device assembly. This is referred to herein as an insulator assembly, particularly as used in the automotive industry. However, it will be appreciated that the invention has applications in related fields.

  In current industry standard technology, a “hard” joint is formed between the vehicle body and the frame. Thus, when a frontal collision or a side collision occurs, the vehicle frame or cradle may remain fixed to the body or the passenger compartment. For example, if the cradle mounting device assembly interconnects the body to the cradle, the assembly has two functions. The cradle mounting device or insulator assembly blocks vibrations between the cradle and the body. Secondly, the assembly acts as a cradle attachment point to the body.

  An insulation device assembly, such as a body mounting device assembly or a cradle mounting device assembly, in its most basic form includes an elastomeric member such as a rubber block. Position the elastomer / rubber member between the first structure or vehicle frame and the second structure or vehicle body to absorb vibrations and block the transmission of vibration energy and impact energy between the vehicle body and the frame. . The fastener assembly extends longitudinally through the elastomeric member and includes a retainer such as a nut on the opposite side of the frame or body bolt head end. Thus, the frame and body are secured to each other via the insulator assembly, and vibration energy is effectively absorbed between the components by the elastomeric member. Of course, those skilled in the art will appreciate that more complex isolator assemblies include more additional structural components and features than those described above.

  However, it is considered desirable to be able to selectively separate the two structures, ie the frame and the body, during a barrier event. Conventionally, no effective design has been proposed for satisfying this judgment condition. Furthermore, such a design must be able to provide suitable vibration absorption characteristics that can be easily and inexpensively manufactured and obtained with commercially available isolator assemblies.

  The improved isolator assembly includes an insert formed to break and separate in a desired direction in response to a predetermined load, thereby separating the cradle or frame from the vehicle body.

  The isolator assembly includes an elastomeric member that couples the associated frame to the associated body. An elongated fastener assembly secures the elastomeric member to the associated frame and body. The insert is received in the elastomeric member and is configured to break and separate along at least one of the front and rear directions extending along the length of the fastener assembly and substantially perpendicular thereto. Yes.

The insert is in one embodiment a hollow sleeve with a variable cross section.
The insert is, in another embodiment, a separate member defined by the first and second portions.

The retainer preferably includes a fracture configuration that allows the frame and body to be spaced along an axis parallel or coincident with the longitudinal axis of the fastening assembly.
The retainer preferably includes a small diameter portion and a large diameter portion over an irregular opening formed through the retainer.

A major advantage of the present invention is that the insulator assembly can be broken and separated at a predetermined load.
The main advantage of the present invention is that the direction in which the insulator assembly is broken and the predetermined load can be controlled.

Yet another advantage of the present invention is a simple design that is easy to manufacture and varies for different vehicle platforms or types.
Yet another advantage of the present invention is a simple design that is easy to assemble.

  Still other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading and understanding the following detailed description.

  The accompanying drawings are intended to illustrate one or more preferred embodiments of the invention. However, the attached drawings should not be construed to limit the invention to the illustrated embodiments.

  Referring first to FIG. 1, an insulator assembly 20, which in this particular exemplary embodiment is a cradle mounting assembly, interconnects the vehicle body B to a frame F such as the illustrated cradle sleeve. More particularly, the insulator assembly includes an elastomeric or rubber member, which in this embodiment includes a first or upper insulator 22a and a second or lower insulator 22b. Each insulator has an overall annular shape and is provided with a through hole adapted to receive a portion of a fastener assembly such as an elongated bolt 24. Of course, it will be appreciated that the insulator can take various forms according to various needs, such as absorption of various vibrations and damping rates in various directions. Such forms may or may not include washers such as the washer 25 associated with the upper insulator, inserts, stiffeners, and the like. The washer provides a durable wear-resistant surface that interfaces the body B with other components of the assembly described in more detail below.

  The bolt includes a first end or large diameter head 28 and is preferably threaded at the second end 30 for threading engagement with the retaining clip 40. The retaining clip includes a nut 42. As is well known in the art, the elastomeric members 22a, 22b absorb vibration energy. Vibration energy is transmitted between the frame and the body when these elastomeric members are not provided. Thus, the upper insulator 22a contacts and engages with the first surface, that is, the lower surface 44 of the body sheet metal B, and contacts and engages with the first end 46 of the cradle sleeve F. The cradle sleeve F is a hollow cylindrical member that surrounds most of the lower insulator 22b. Typically, the lower insulator is molded and bonded to the sleeve, but this does not limit the features of the present invention. The cradle sleeve and lower insulator engage along a stepped region 48 so that vibration energy is effectively transferred between them.

  The second or lower retainer 50 is engaged with the first or lower surface 52 by the bolt head 28. The second or opposite surface 54 of the lower retainer faces inward toward the lower insulator 22b.

  An insert 70 extends axially around the bolt shank 56 and is received radially between the shank and the inner diameter portions 58, 60 of the upper and lower insulators. In one embodiment, the insert 70 is formed of first and second portions 70a, 70b divided along a longitudinal axis substantially parallel to the fastener longitudinal axis LA. The insert 70 has a central opening 72 that receives the bolt shank 56. The insert may be in a reduced cross-sectional area if the fastener is a single member, or in the gap or mating edge if the insert is defined by the first and second portions 70a, 70b. Along the longitudinal direction, at least in one of the longitudinal directions, that is, substantially perpendicular to the length of the longitudinal axis or the fastener bolt. The front-rear direction is indicated by reference numerals 80 and 82 in FIG. As is particularly apparent in FIGS. 3 and 4, this is the thinnest cross-sectional area of the integral insert or defines a gap or mating surface between the first and second portions 70a, 70b. This is in contrast to the case where the insert has a fairly large cross section in a direction perpendicular to the front and rear. Thus, when a sufficiently large load is applied to the insulator assembly during a barrier event or the like, the frame F and the body B are separated by shearing the bolt through the gap or thinned section of the insert.

  It will be appreciated that the insert can take a variety of forms. For example, the split assembly shown in FIG. 1 has one configuration. The split assembly is shown in more detail in FIGS. The split member constituting the insert has a shape or contour that facilitates separation of the assembly in the front-rear direction. That is, as shown in FIG. 6, the entire C-shaped insert portion as viewed in a plane defines a diamond-shaped opening 84. This opening extends over the length of the split and surrounds and houses the elongated shank of the fastener. The distal edges 86, 88 are arranged in face-to-face relationship and define on each side a small gap 90 that extends along the entire length or height of the insert. These gaps allow fasteners to pass there during a vehicle event and separate the frame from the body as desired.

  FIGS. 8 and 9 show another feature that performs forward and backward destructive movement or separation in the direction indicated by the reference arrows 80 and 82 in response to a barrier event. For the sake of brevity and understanding, reference numbers with a '(eg 70') are attached to similar elements and new reference numbers are attached to the new elements. Here, the insert 70 'is a single component. That is, it does not break along its length. In order to provide a desired response to a barrier event, the insert 70 'includes a thin cross section 100 in the desired anteroposterior direction. For example, the convex outer surfaces 102, 104 form a relatively thick cross section in a direction perpendicular to the front and back regions, and the thin cross section includes concave peripheral regions 106, 108 that are generally rhomboid openings. With 84 ', the insulator assembly can be broken or separated according to a predetermined load. In all other cases, the isolator assembly continues to effectively isolate vibration between the frame and the body and remains an effective attachment point between these structures.

  Separation in the -z direction along the longitudinal axis LA, ie in the downward direction shown in FIG. 2, is also provided for the breaking movement. In particular, the insert 70 operatively engages or abuts with the central portion of the upper surface 54 of the lower retainer. As best shown in FIGS. 6, 10, and 11, the opening 120 through the retainer has an irregular or scalloped feature 122. The lands 124 define radial recesses 126 (four are provided, but more or fewer lands and recesses can be used without departing from the scope and intent of the present invention). Or separate. The bolt head engages the land, and thus the underside of the bolt head is not fully supported along the circumference. With a predetermined load applied in the z direction, the bolt head 28 can be separated from the retainer and thus the cradle can be separated from the frame in the -z direction. Although a teardrop or scalloped configuration is shown as the preferred form of the lower retainer opening, other forms (eg, thin areas) may be used without departing from the scope and intent of the present invention. The result can be obtained.

  Furthermore, one of the features of breaking described above can be used independently or in combination. Furthermore, the shape of the insert is preferably easy to manufacture. For example, an extrudable material such as aluminum is desirable. This is because it is easy to manufacture whether it is one part or two parts. Further, the insert may be a cast, sintered or powdered metal, steel, thermoset or thermoplastic, or composite, or other material without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. It can be formed from various materials such as a combination of or various methods. If two insert parts are used, these parts are mirror-symmetric with respect to each other, ie substantially the same, thereby reducing manufacturing costs. On the other hand, if a unitary insert is provided, it preferably has a consistent cross-section over its length, which makes it easy to manufacture the insert.

  It will be appreciated that other features used in other isolator assemblies can be easily designed to incorporate. For example, in order to selectively block in the front-rear direction, front-rear bumpers 130 and 132 (see FIG. 5) may be provided around the insert. A water drain structure can be incorporated without affecting the rupture feature. Furthermore, selected components may be manufactured to provide an interlocking structure to facilitate assembly. For example, a groove is formed in an elastomer bonded to the outer surface of the insert. This groove forms part of the interlocking structure and cooperates with the edge formed in the upper retainer. This allows snap-fit interlocks that facilitate assembly of the upper insulator.

  The invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments. Obviously, variations and modifications will become apparent upon reading and understanding the above detailed description. The present invention is construed to include all such variations and modifications.

It is a disassembled perspective view of one Example of the insulation apparatus assembly of this invention. It is length direction sectional drawing of the assembled insulation apparatus assembly. It is a top view of an insulation apparatus assembly. FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5-5 in FIG. FIG. 3 is a plan view of a first preferred insert. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 7-7 in FIG. FIG. 6 is a plan view of a second preferred insert. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 9-9 in FIG. It is a top view of a preferable retainer. It is a front view of the retainer of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

B Vehicle body F Frame 20 Insulator assembly 22a Upper insulator 22b Lower insulator 24 Bolt 25 Washer 28 Large-diameter head 40 Holding clip 30 Second end 42 Nut 44 Lower surface 46 First end 48 Region 50 Lower retainer 52 Upper surface 54 Second surface 56 Shank 58, 60 Inner diameter portion 70 Insert 72 Central opening

Claims (18)

In the insulator assembly,
An elastomeric member that connects the associated frame to the associated body of the associated vehicle,
A fastener assembly for securing the elastomeric member to one of the associated vehicle frame and body, and at least one of a longitudinal direction extending along and substantially perpendicular to the length of the fastener assembly. An insulator assembly comprising means for allowing the fastener assembly to be separated in one direction.   The insulator assembly of claim 1, wherein the means for allowing the fastener assembly to be separated in the front-rear direction includes an insert received in the elastomeric member.   3. The insulation device assembly according to claim 2, wherein the insert is a sleeve that is hollow throughout the variable cross section.   3. The insulation device assembly according to claim 2, wherein the insert includes first and second portions spaced along at least one of the front and rear directions of the fastener assembly.   5. The insulator assembly of claim 4, wherein the first and second portions of the insert are substantially the same.   3. An insulation device assembly according to claim 2, wherein the cross section of the insert varies around its circumference and is substantially constant along its length.   The insulator assembly of claim 1, further comprising a retainer operatively engaged with one end of the insert, the retainer being generally spaced along the longitudinal axis of the fastener assembly. Insulator assembly provided with possible irregular openings.   The insulation device assembly of claim 1, further comprising a retainer member disposed on one side of the body associated with the opposite side of the elastomeric member to secure the fastener assembly to the associated body. Equipment assembly.   9. The insulation device assembly of claim 8, wherein the retainer opening includes a small diameter portion and a large diameter portion spaced along an irregular opening.   The insulator assembly of claim 1, further comprising a second elastomeric member disposed between the associated body and the associated frame. In the cradle mounting assembly that interconnects the relevant frame and the relevant body of the vehicle,
A vibration absorbing member connecting the associated frame with the associated body of the associated vehicle,
An elongated fastener assembly for securing the vibration absorbing member to one of an associated vehicle frame and body;
An insert that is received by the vibration-absorbing member and is separated along at least one of the front and rear directions along the length of the fastener assembly and extending substantially perpendicular to the length. And a retainer operatively engaged with one end of the insert, including an irregular through-opening, whereby the insulator assembly can be generally spaced along the longitudinal axis of the fastener assembly , Cradle mounting device assembly.   12. Insulator assembly according to claim 11, wherein the insert is a hollow sleeve throughout the variable cross section.   12. The isolation device assembly according to claim 11, wherein the insert includes first and second portions spaced apart along at least one of the front and rear directions of the fastener assembly. .   14. The isolation device assembly according to claim 13, wherein the first and second portions of the insert are substantially the same.   12. An insulation device assembly according to claim 11, wherein the cross-section of the insert varies across its circumference and is substantially constant along its length. In the insulator assembly,
An elastomeric member that connects the associated frame to the associated body of the associated vehicle,
Fastener assembly for securing the elastomeric member to one of the associated vehicle frame and body, and at least one of the front and rear directions extending substantially perpendicular to and along the length of the fastener assembly. An isolator assembly that includes an insert received in an elastomeric member capable of separating the assembly.   The insulator assembly of claim 16, wherein the insert is a sleeve that is hollow throughout the variable cross section.   17. The insulator assembly of claim 16, wherein the insert includes first and second portions spaced along at least one of the front and rear directions of the fastener assembly. .

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